Met Office says aurora borealis may be visible across north of country and possibly even further south

The northern lights are expected to be visible in Scotland this weekend, the Met Office has said, with a chance of sightings further south.

Sightings of the aurora borealis, a naturally occurring light display caused when electrically charged particles from the sun collide with atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, are possible over northern Scotland “and potentially over much of Scotland where skies remain clear” on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, according to the latest “space weather” forecast.